Fired spokesman sues DRT claiming sexual harassment

Tony Caridi, the Alamo's former director of marketing and public relations, poses with singer and Alamo enthusiast Phil Collins in 2010. Caridi was fired by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas for alleged inappropriate use of work computers and other employee resources.

Photo By Tom Reel/San Antonio Express-News

Tony Caridi looks through some of the items for sale commemorating the 175th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo at the Alamo gift shop on Jan. 6. Caridi, who was the Alamo's director of marketing and public relations, was fired on Jan. 20.

Photo By TOM REEL/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Tony Caridi presents his idea for a banner to hang from the Emily Morgan Hotel to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo.Caridi was the Alamo's director of marketing and public relationuntil he was fired in January.

A former Alamo spokesman claims in a lawsuit against the Daughters of the Republic of Texas that a DRT board member sexually harassed him, and that his complaints about the unwanted advances led to retaliation.

The lawsuit, filed Friday by Tony Caridi, alleges the ultimate act of retaliation came Jan. 20, when he was fired after two years as the voice of the Alamo.

“Throughout his employment, (Caridi) was repeatedly sexually harassed by a female Board Member,” the lawsuit states. “In addition, this Board Member continuously asked to meet with him in private. Plaintiff rejected all of her advances and was subjected to retaliation.”

Caridi on Tuesday declined to comment on the suit. His lawyer, Adam Poncio, could not be reached for comment.

The DRT said he was let go after violating 16 of its policies or procedures, although the former TV personality claims he never received any training or reprimands.

DRT President General Karen Thompson, through general counsel Jim Ewbank, stood by the reasons for firing Caridi in an emailed statement Tuesday.

“Once it was determined that he was misusing state property to write a false and defamatory book about his employer, termination was the only course of action,” the statement reads.

“Mr. Caridi started this fight, but The Daughters of the Republic of Texas intend to finish it,” Thompson said in the statement.

When he was fired, Caridi was almost finished writing an exposé tentatively titled “Neglected Legacy.” The book, he said, was filled with DRT secrets.

News of the forthcoming tell-all came in an Express-News story in February, in which Ewbank said Caridi was guilty of a “profound breach of trust” by using the state's time and an office computer to work on the manuscript. Caridi said he used a personal computer he often brought to work. In the lawsuit, he claims Ewbank's statement to the newspaper defamed him and caused emotional distress.

Daughter Kathleen Carter said she always took harassment allegations seriously while at the helm of the Alamo Committee, but added that she doubts the accuracy of at least parts of Caridi's manuscript.

“Some parts of the manuscript are true. There are some misstatements and erroneous facts,” she said.

“I just don't look at DRT members as being femme fatales,” Carter said. “It's just kind of unexpected, with everything that the DRT has gone through.”

“We are continuing to look forward at the Alamo, not backwards,” Loeffler said in an emailed statement, “and will be announcing several large, positive initiatives affecting the visitor experience very soon.”